NEW BEDFORD — Declining donations and rising attendance at Mercy Meals and More's free breakfast program could force the nonprofit group to temporarily shutter its doors soon, leaving the city's poor without a place to get a morning meal.

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By MATT CAMARA

southcoasttoday.com

By MATT CAMARA

Posted Jul. 4, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 4, 2013 at 6:56 AM

By MATT CAMARA

Posted Jul. 4, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 4, 2013 at 6:56 AM

» Social News

NEW BEDFORD — Declining donations and rising attendance at Mercy Meals and More's free breakfast program could force the nonprofit group to temporarily shutter its doors soon, leaving the city's poor without a place to get a morning meal.

"We're praying that doesn't happen," said Emily Ortiz, Mercy Meals' board president, adding that poor or homeless residents will need to trek to the South End once Catholic Social Services' moves its soup kitchen. "This whole community has a need. If (the homeless) can't make it to the South End, they won't have any meals."

A call to Catholic Social Services Wednesday was not returned.

Mercy Meals provides a free breakfast daily — excluding Sundays — out of the Pilgrim United Church of Christ and has served more than 70,000 meals since it started up in 2010. Each meal costs about $4 per plate to make and patrons may choose from eggs, french toast or pancakes, said the Rev. Russ Chamberlain, who founded the program with the Rev. David Hammett and the Rev. David Soto three years ago without any funding in place.

Local homeless or low-income people flock to the church each morning for the free breakfasts and volunteers serve about 120 meals daily. Chamberlain said donations typically taper off in the summer — and pick up again once the Christmas season begins — but that rising food costs have stretched his organization's coffers to the breaking point.

"We're trying to start the day with hope for these people. ... Let them start the day so they're not hungry and alone," Chamberlain said.

An uptick in families coming in for breakfast started once summer began as well, he said, chalking that up to low-income students no longer getting free meals in school.

Mercy Meals is funded entirely through community donations, although the organization is exploring grant funding now that it is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Becoming a 501c3, however, also added significant liability insurance costs to Mercy Meals, another expense for the already cash-strapped nonprofit, Chamberlain said.

The organization does more than just free breakfast, however, and Chamberlain often leaves the church to crisscross SouthCoast on bread runs to local food pantries. The organization also provides clothing, books and even health screenings — sometimes done by UMass Dartmouth nursing students — to patrons.

Shuttering Mercy Meals is expected to have a ripple effect through SouthCoast food banks, many struggling with tight budgets and too many clients, that lack their own vehicles and often depend on Chamberlain's deliveries.

"All of the food banks' numbers are up, and there's nothing anybody can do about it," said Emma Melo, food program director for PACE Inc., a low-income advocacy group that runs its own food bank in New Bedford. "It's just another loss. It's going to be another step down."

Chamberlain said Mercy Meals needs between $15,000 and $20,000 to have a "good cushion" for the rest of summer. He could not immediately provide his annual budget but estimated that it costs about $3,000 per week to run the organization.

The church also doubles as a backup emergency shelter for city residents unable to travel to Keith Middle School.

A Mayor's Office spokeswoman said that alternative arrangements such as providing transportation to Keith or finding another downtown church would be explored if an emergency arises while Mercy Meals is shut down.

When or for how long the program could close remains up in the air. The board will meet next week to discuss what to do, and whether to lay off Chamberlain, who makes about $1,000 biweekly, as a cost-saving measure, he said.

Chamberlain added that he would be willing to work temporarily as a volunteer should laying him off be necessary to save the program.

"I'm hoping that we can let people know there is a need," he said. "I know we're seen as the homeless breakfast program, but we're a lot more than that."